Method and apparatus for spacing electrodes



June 9, 1936. J. P. DYER METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SPACING ELECTRODES 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June 29, 1955 am no. 055:2

R O T N v E v m Y JohnBDyer W aw? WM ATTORNEYS June 9, 1936. J. P. DYER METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SPACING ELECTRODES Filed June 29; 1955 Sheets-Sheet 2 N N y June 9, 1936. J. P. DYER METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SPACING ELECTRODES 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 29, 19:55

INVENTOR. John B Dyer ,ar rw ATTORNEYS J. P. DYER METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SPACING ELECTRODES June 9, 1936.

Filed June 29, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Q? '9 f If 92 v -wm m mrrmm 1 11 h 4 n 0 O hi W O 0 0 E W 5%.: z 59' INVENTOR Jolmflfiyer CEr M ATTO RNEYS Patented June 9, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SPACING ELECTRODES John P. Dyer, El Paso, Tex., assignor to Nichols Copper Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 29, 1935, Serial No. 28,997

13 Claims. (01. 204-) This invention relates to methods and appadesired a single rack may be provided and made ratus for spacing electrodes such as used in the suitably adjustable to accommodate the dimenso-called multiple system of refining copper sions of both anodes and cathodes, for inserting or other metals. With this system of refining, groups of both of these types of electrodes into 5 tanks or vats containing electrolyte solution are the body of electrolyte with uniformly accurate 5" arranged in groups. In each of these tanks, a spacing between electrodes, and also whereby the plurality of anodes 0f pure pper o o e same rack if desired may be used to properly metal to be refined are pend dbetween thin space the anodes for the initial set of cathodes Sheets of copper Other t ese eet be g and then to respace simultaneously a large group called starting sheets. An electric current is of the anodes properly for the subsequent sets 10 I so applied as to run from the anodes through the of cathodes. electrolyte solution to the starting sheets, where- Further a d more specific objects, features by the anode metal gees 111170 8 117 a is and advantages of my invention will more clearly thereafter deposited as refined metal 0n the appear from the detailed description given below,

S t Sheets cathodestaken in connection with the accompanying 15 In this process, for convenience and various drawings hich dis lose by way'of example one h r as n p a t it s ust to embodiment of the apparatus which may be used 1129 one Set Of anodes With two more Sets of in the practice of the invention. The invention cathodes in Succession That is, part of the consists in such novel combinations of apparatus anode metal is deposited on the first set of cathand methods as may b shown and described in 20 odes or starting sheets. Then this first set of connection t th a aratus arrangements cathodes is removed and replaced in turn by herein disclosed as an i11ustrative example.

one or more additional sets of starting sheets In the drawings, Fig, 1 comprises a plan view or cathodes, on which the remainder, of the f an electrode spacing or respacing raiik 2 anode metal is deposited. I bodying my ti For economy of power consumption and space, 2 iS a Side View of t k of Fig. 1;

the electrodes should be so spaced as to give the 3 is a sectional View tak n substantially minimum practical distance between the suralong the line 3 of Fig 2; faces of the angdes and cathodes- However Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially after the first set of cathodes has been removed along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; 30

and a second set of starting sheets is inserted, Fig 5 is a, transverse sectional i taken subthe distances between the surfaces of the anodes Stantiaiiy along the line 5 5 of Fig' 2; and cathodes will be considerably increased, due Figs 6 and 7 are perspective views of spacing to the 1055 of metal from the anodes- Such blocks or members, from which the electrodes crease in the spacing of the electrodes will may be Suspended f the rack Structure above 35 of course result in lengthening the path of referred to; travel of the electric current through the solu- Fig 8 is a sectional VieW partiy broken away tion and hence the resistance of this path is and taken substantially along the line 8-8 of considerably increased, thereby incurring an in- Fig and crease in the power oonsumedone of the Fig 9 is a sectional view taken substantially 4 jects of this invention is to provide a convenient a'long the line of and efficient method and apparatus for respac- The rack in the form Shown in the drawings ing the electrodes under these circumstances, so may comprise a pair of parallel beams as at m that the Spacing with the Second or any arose and H held at the required distance apart and quent Set of cathoqes may mO-re nearly corresuspended as by means of bails l2 and I3 from a 45 spam} with the mlmmum practmal spacmg used traveling crane of any well-known type, equipped Wlth he first Set of cathodes' i with a pair of hooks as at I4, l5, which may be a fia i el i r l g i' jr i r zgriyigg tr ig giggig 82 elevated or lowered by power means and which so miiroad cal-s or other places t t electrol te may be also caused to travel horizontally, trans- 5O tanks and to use another rack suitable for the v s o longitudinally o e a e if desired. dimensions of the cathodes, for carrying the The bails at [2, l3 may be each rigidly secured cathodes to and from the electrolyte tanks and to transverse I-beams as at [6, l1, WhlCh respecto machines for washing electrolyte from the fintively comprise the two end pieces of a motor ished cathodes. According to my invention, if supporting frame 18. The I-beams l6, l1 maybe 55 secured to the beams H), II by suitable blocks as at l9, each rigidly fixed to the top of one of the beams in, H and shaped to slidably embrace the lower edge of one of the transverse I-beams It or IT.

Each of the electrodes (as at 20, 2|, Fig. 4) may comprise a rectangular plate having a supporting lug at each top corner. The spacing of these supporting lugs on the anodes is customarily made wider than the corresponding spacing on the cathodes. Accordingly the spacing of the means on the rack for suspending the anodes must be diiferent from that of the cathodes. Hence it has heretofore been customary to provide at least two different types of racks for handling the electrodes, one with the electrode suspending hooks properly spaced for anodes, and another with hooks properly spaced for cathodes. However, with the rack here illustrated, the electrodes may be suspended from the beams It, I I by means hereinafter described, and the spacing between these beams may be altered and adjusted to accommodate either cathodes or anodes. That is, the slidable connections 59 of these beams in respect to the transverse beams IE, IT, permit the beams to be spaced, as for example in Fig. 1, for carrying anodes or with the spacings as shown by the broken lines in Figs. 3 and 5, suitable for cathodes. 7

Each of the two outer ends of the rack may comprise an angle bar as at 22 having apertures as at 23, 23-, through which removable pin members as at 24 may be inserted, the beams ill .and

- i I- being also formed with apertures to be engaged by said pin members whereby the beams it and H may be locked in respect to the end members after the beams have been spaced the desired distance apart to accommodate the type of electrode to be handled. The angle bars 22 may also, if desired, be provided with apertured depending lugs as at 25, the beams l0 and l I being also formed with adjacent apertured lugs 26 whereby additional looking pins as at 21 may be inserted. To further secure these beams l0 and 1!, once they are at the desired spacing, against displacement in respect to the bails l2 and [3, additional locking pins as at 28 may be provided in engagement with apertured lugs mounted respectively upon the beams l8 and H and the transverse beams 16 'and H.

The means for suspending the electrodes will now be described. As indicated in Figs. 4 and. 5, eachof the I-beams l0 and l lmay have its lower flanges slidably embraced by a group of electrode supporting and spacing blocks as at 35. As shown in further detail in Fig. 6, each of these blocks may be formed with a channel 3! and with inturned flanges as at. 32, 33 for slidably embracing the lower flanges of the I-beams. One end of each of these blocks may be provided with a pair of lugs 34, adapted to be engaged by a pair of hooks as at Stand 31 formed on the end of the next adjacent block. Thus, as more clearly shown in Fig. 8, the blocks 3E! may be arranged in a chain-like. interconnected series, each block being slidable in respect. to the I-beam. An electrode supporting hook as at 33 may be pivotally secured as at 39 to the under side of each of the blocks 30. One of the top corners of each elec trode will: be supported as by a hook 38, carried by the beam. I0, and the other top corner of the same electrode will be supported as by a hook 38, carried by the beam ll (Figs, 4 and 5). As will appear from Figs. 4 and 8, the lugs 34 and 35 and the hooks 36 and 37 may be of such dimensions that each of the blocks 30 is provided with a lost motion connection to adjacent blocks. Thus, when a force is applied to a group of these blocks to thrust them together, then the electrode hooks suspended therefrom will be spaced with one predetermined uniform spacing and when a force is applied to pull this group of locks apart, the electrode hooks will be uniformly spaced with a wider predetermined spacing and the difierence in the spacing for the two cases will be determined by the clearance provided for the lugs 34 and 35 within the hooks as at 36 and 37.

If desired, the slidable block at the righthand end of each chain or group of blocks 38 (Fig. 4) may be of the special construction of the block 40 shown in Fig. 7. This block may be formed with a channel and hooks like those of the blocks 30, as well as pivotal supporting means on its under side for one of the electrode hooks. The block ll] may also be formed with .an upstanding cylindrical lug 4i adapted to pivotally engage a thrust rod as at 42 (Figs. 3 and 4) for slidably controlling the position of one end of the chain of blocks mounted on the beam It). The righthand end of the chain of blocks mounted on the beam H may be simultaneously controlled by a thrust rod 43. The lefthand ends of each of these chains of blocks may terminate in a block as .at 34 (Fig. 3) provided with an upstanding lug 45 similar to the lug ll above referred to. On the block 44, however, the hooks such as at 35 and 3? may be omitted, but this block may be provided with lugs like the lugs 34 and 35 on blocks 30. Thus, the position of the lefthand end of the chain of blocks carried by the beam It may be controlled by a thrust rod as at 46 engaging the pin 45. Similarly, the lefthand end of the chain of blocks carried by the beam ll may be controlled by a thrust rod 47.

The thrust rods 42, 43, 46, 41 may be operated preferably by a power unit mounted upon and movable with the rack. For this purpose a suitable form of prime mover may be provided, such as a motor 48 mounted on the motor frame l8, and supplied with current from a storage battery as at 49 also mounted on said frame. The motor 48 may be connected to drive a shaft 58 through suitable reduction gearing as at 5|. The shaft 50 may be journalled in a bearing 52 mounted upon the motor frame and may serve to drive a sprocket 53 connected by a chain 54, to a sprocket 55 which rotates a shaft 55, extending longitudinally of the rack. The shaft 56 may be mounted in a bearing 5i supported from the motor frame by an angle bar 58 (Fig. 5), which bar may have an extension for supporting the bearing 52 for the shaft 50. The shaft 56 may be provided with a thrust collar 59', which collar is free to rotate within an aperture in a supporting bracket 60 mounted on the motor frame 58. The collar 59 and bracket 60 serve to retain the shaft 56 against endwise movement- The shaft 55 may also be supported free to rotate at a bearing Bl at the end of the rack structure.

In addition to the motor drive above described for the shaft 56, the shaft may be provided at its outer end with a manually rotatable crank handle as at 62 if desired, which will provide a ready means for either turning the shaft for controlling the thrust rods 46 and ll in the manner hereinafter described, or for adjusting slightly the annular position of the shaft during the adjustment of the remaining moving parts of the equipment.

The shaft 55 may be threaded as at 63 for engagement with a threaded bearing block 64 mounted upon a cross head 65, which in turn may be slidably mounted on the lower side of the motor frame I 8.

The shaft 56 may be provided with an extension 66 connected thereto as by a keyed coupling 61. The extension 66 may be formed with threads at 68 running in a direction opposite to the threads 63. The threaded area on the shaft 66 engages a threaded bearing block 69 mounted upon a. slidable cross head 16 in a manner similar to the bearing block 64. As shown in further detail in Figs. 8 and 9, bearing block 69 may be bolted to the lower side of the cross head 16 and this cross head may be slidably mounted within grooved members 'H and 12 bolted to the lower side of the motor frame l8. The cross head 10 may be formed with depending and outwardly extending arms as at 13 and 14, each carrying a. vertical rotatable bolt or pin as at 15 to the lower end of which one of the thrust rods 42 or 43 may be pivotally connected as at 16. The cross head 64 may be similarly mounted and may be connected in a similar way to thrust rods 46 and 41, as will be readily understood from Figs. 3 and 4.

The motor 48 may be of a reversible type whereby when current is supplied to rotate the motor in one direction, it will operate through the reduction gearing, shafts 50, 56, and 66 to cause the cross heads and 16 to be moved outwardly toward the ends of the rack respectively. Thus, the thrust rods 42 and 43 will be moved to the right (Fig. 3) and thrust rods 46 and 41 toward the left. This will cause the two chains of electrode supporting blocks 36 mounted on the beams I 6 and II respectively to be pulled to extended condition, providing a predetermined uniform maximum spacing of the electrode suspending hooks. Then if current is so applied to the motor as to cause it to rotate in the opposite direction, the movement of the various parts connected thereto will be such as to pull such rods 42, 43, 46, 41 respectively toward the center of the rack, thereby causing the two chains of electrode supporting blocks 30 to be compressed toprovide the predetermined minimum spacing or a closer spacing of the electrodes.

In order that the motor may be automatically stopped when the chains of electrode supporting blocks are fully thrust together or pulled apart to their fully extended condition, an automatic switch 86 may be provided. This switch may be mounted upon the motor frame as shown and has a pivoted depending arm Bl adapted to be engaged by stop members 82 and 83 mounted on a bracket 84. This bracket in turn may be fixed to the cross head 16. The stop members 82 and 83 are so adjusted in respect to the bracket 84 that when the cross head moves to a predetermined extent toward the right (Fig. 8), the switch arm 8| will be engaged for disconnecting the current to the motor whereby the motor will be shut off, with the chains of electrode supporting blocks in their extended condition. The switch 8!) may be of a well known type, so connected that at the same time a circuit will be prepared for operating the motor in the opposite direction. Then, when the circuit thus prepared is completed by manually throwing the starting switch, the motor will turn in the opposite direction and cause the two cross heads and two pairs of thrust arms 42, 43 and 46, 41 respectively to move toward the center of the rack assembly. The stop member 82 is therefore adjusted so as to engage the switch arm 8l to again stop the motor, as soon as the chains of electrode supporting blocks are moved to fully contracted condition.

In using the above described equipment, the rack may be carried'by the traveling crane to a railroad car or other place where a plurality of anodes which are to be used, are located. At this time the chains of electrode supporting blocks are in extended condition toprovide the desired predetermined uniform wide spacing of the electrodes. Each anode may then be suspended from a pair of electrode hooks 38, 38' (Figs. 4 and 5). When a full set of anodes has been suspended from the rack, the rack may be carried by the traveling crane to the vat or tank and lowered so as to insert the anodes thus properly spaced into the electrolyte. The hooks may thereupon be disconnected from the electrodes and thereafter a plurality of similar groups of anodes may be carried and inserted in the other tanks, or if desired the spacing of the beams l0 and Il may thereupon be shifted to bring the beams closer together as indicated by the broken lines in Figs. 3 and 5. That is, the locking pins as at 24, 21, 28 may be removed and the beams l6 and H may be slidably moved to' the desired closer positions, and then secured in position by reinserting the locking pins in the apertures provided. The rack will now be in condition for handling groups of cathodes or other electrodes having more closely spaced supporting lugs. In this con dition the rack may be carried by the crane to a position over a tank containing a group of the cathodes which are ready to be removed from the electrolyte. Each" of these cathodes may be hooked on to the rack and after the whole group is thus attached, the rack may be elevated by the crane and transported to a machine for washing the cathodes and then to a desired place for storage of the cathodes. .Then upon readjusting the spacing of the beams, the rack may be taken back to a vat containing a group of the anodes which are ready to be respaced more closely for proper cooperation with a second set of cathodes These anodes are hooked on to the rack, whereupon the rack may be elevated by the crane and the motor 48 started in operation in a direction such as to compress the chains of electrode supporting blocks, thereby bringing the electrodes into a closer predetermined spaced relationship, after which the rack may be lowered by the crane to replace the anodes in the vat with the closer uniform spacing, ready for cooperation with the second set of cathodes to be used with that set of anodes.

Thus, with very little manual effort, an entire group of anodes or cathodes for a single tank or vat may be transported from place to place in a plant. And such an entire group of anodes may be all elevated, and then quickly and substantially simultaneously shifted to provide the desired predetermined and uniform closer spacing, and then replaced in positionin the body of electrolyte with such accurate and uniform spacing. By thus mechanically respacing the anodes as a group in each tank, the desired respacing may 6 be accomplished more quickly, accurately and uniformly than is possible. in practice when an attempt is made to shift the heavy electrodes one by one manually. At the same time, the appa ratus is such as to preclude any possibility of the electrodes becoming jammed, scarred or otherwise injured during the respacing operation. Furthermore, the same rack may be conveniently used both for the anodes and cathodes, despite their difierent dimensions.

While the invention has been described in detail with respectto a particular preferred example, it will be understood by those skilled in the art, after understanding the invention, that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from. the spirit and scope of the invention, and it is intended therefore in the appended claims, to cover all such changes and. modifications.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for placing a plurality of electrodes in spaced positions in a body of electrolyte, comprising a frame, a plurality of interconnected electrode supporting members slidably mounted upon said frame, mean-s on each of said members for suspending an electrode therefrom, and means for shifting the relative positions of said supporting members while the electrodes are suspended therefrom to respace said electrodes with predetermined spacings therebetween.

2. Apparatus for altering the spacing of a plurality of electrodes in a body of electrolyte, comprising a frame, a chain of interengaging electrode supporting members movably mounted upon said frame for supporting the electrodes in spaced positions, and means for thrusting said chain of members toward one another to provide one set of predetermined spacings for the electrodes and for extending said chain of supporting members to provide another set of predetermined spacings for the electrodes.

3. Apparatus for placing a plurality of electrodes in spaced positions in a body of electrolyte, comprising a traveling frame, means for raising and lowering said frame, a plurality of sets of interconnected electrode supporting members, means for mounting said supporting members on said frame with each member free for limited movement. along the frame, means on each of said supporting members for suspending an electrode therefrom and each electrode being suspended from a supporting member of each of said sets, and means on said frame for shifting the positions of said supporting members while the electrodes are suspended thereby, whereby the electrodes may be suspended at a plurality of different predetermined spacings.

4. Electrode supporting means comprising a plurality of movable supporting members, means on each of said members for suspending an electrode therefrom, said members comprising a chain-like interconnected series with lost motion connecting means between adjacent members, and means engaging the end members of said series for extending or contracting the series whereby the electrodes may be suspended at a plurality of different predetermined'spacings.

5. Apparatus for altering the spacing of a plurality of electrodes in a body of electrolyte, comprising a. frame, a plurality of interconnected electrode supporting members slidably mounted upon said frame, a screw rod, power driven means for turning said screw rod, a cross head member engaging said screw rod and slidably mounted upon said frame, and link means for operatively connecting said cross head to said electrode supporting members whereby the spacing of said supporting members may be altered by the turning of said rod.

6. Apparatus for altering the spacing of a plurality of electrodes in a body of electrolyte, comprising a frame, a plurality of interconnected electrode. supporting members slidably mounted upon said frame, a screwrod, power driven means for turning said screw rod, a cross head member engaging said screw rod and slidably mounted upon said frame, link means for operatively connecting said cross head to said electrode supporting members whereby the spacing of said supporting members may be altered by the turning of said rod, and automatic stop means for shutting off said power driven means upon movement of said cross head to a predetermined position.

7. Apparatus for placing a plurality of electrodes in spaced positions in a body of electrolyte, comprising a traveling frame, said frame including a pair of spaced beams, a plurality of electrode supporting members on each of said beams, and means for slidably adjusting said beams in respect to said frame to provide a plurality of adjustments of the spacing between said beams and of the electrode supporting members thereon.

8. Apparatus for placing a plurality of electrodes in spaced positions in a body of electrolyte, comprising a traveling frame, a plurality of groups of electrode supporting members mounted on said frame, means for suspending each electrode from a supporting member of each of said plurality of groups, means for slidably mounting the supporting members of eacli group, providing for different adjustments of the spacing of said supporting members within each group, and slidable means for mounting each of said groups to provide different adjustments of the spacing of said groups,

9. Apparatusfor altering the spacing of a plurality of side-by-side plate-like electrodes in a body of electrolyte, comprising a frame, a series of electrode supporting members, means for mounting each of said supporting members upon said frame but with each member free for limited movement in a direction transverse to the electrodes, means on each of said members for suspending an electrode therefrom, means for raising and lowering said frame in respect to the body of electrolyte, means on said frame for shifting in said transverse direction, the relative 4 positions of said electrode supporting members whereby said members with the series of electrodes suspended therefrom may be moved respectively from positions with the electrodes substantially uniformly spaced to other positions 0 with the electrodes at a different but substantially uniform spacing.

10. Apparatus for altering the spacing of a series of plate-like electrodes in a body of electro- 0 lyte, comprising a traveling frame, means for raising and lowering said frame, a plurality of electrode supporting members mounted upon said frame and movable therealong, means for suspending an electrode from each of said members, a prime mover mounted on said frame, and connecting means between said prime mover and said members for concurrently altering the spacings transversely of the electrodes, of a series of said supporting members while the electrodes are suspended thereby.

11. Apparatus in accordance with claim 10 and in which automatic stop means are provided for stopping the prime mover upon alteration of the spacing of the electrodes'to a predetermined extent.

12. Apparatus for altering the spacing of a plurality of electrodes, comprising a frame, a series of interconnected supporting members mounted on said frame respectively for suspend- 75 ing electrodes with a predetermined substantially uniform spacing, and means for moving each succeeding member respectively of said series, by progressively greater amounts in respect to the frame, whereby the electrodes supported from said members may be given a different but substantially uniform predetermined spacing.

13. Apparatus for placing a plurality of electrodes in spaced positions in a body of electrolyte, comprising a traveling frame, a plurality of groups of interconnected electrode supporting members mounted on said frame, means for suspending each electrode from a. supporting member of each of said plurality of groups, means for movably mounting the supporting members of each group, means for moving each of said members respectively through various different predetermined distances whereby a series of electrodes supported by said members may be uniformly respaced, and means for movably mounting each of said groups of members to provide different adjustments of the spacing of said 10 groups.

JOHN P. DYER. 

